tiểu đăng khoa
Definition
- Noun (Historical/Colloquial):
- "Minor success" or "passing a minor examination": A traditional, somewhat humorous or literary term referring to the act of getting married, specifically for a man. It is a metaphorical comparison where the major life achievement of "passing the imperial examinations" (đại đăng khoa) is contrasted with the "minor achievement" of taking a wife.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Sau khi đỗ đạt, anh ấy nghĩ đến chuyện tiểu đăng khoa. (After passing his exams, he thought about the matter of getting married.)
- "Đại đăng khoa rồi sẽ tiểu đăng khoa" là một câu nói xưa. ("After the great success comes the minor one" is an old saying.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is almost always used in contrast with "đại đăng khoa" (to pass the highest imperial examinations, the great success). This pairing frames marriage as a subsequent, lesser but expected, milestone for a scholar.
Variants and Related Words
- Đại đăng khoa (n): To achieve the highest success by passing the imperial exams; the "great success."
- Lấy vợ (v): The standard, modern verb meaning "to get married" (for a man).
- Cưới vợ (v): The standard, modern verb meaning "to marry" (for a man).
Synonyms
- To get married (for a man).
- To take a wife (archaic/literary).
Related Idioms
- Đại đăng khoa rồi sẽ tiểu đăng khoa: An idiom meaning "After the great achievement (of passing exams) comes the minor one (of marriage)," illustrating the traditional sequence of a successful man's life.